It’s no surprise that Mission Valley is one of the fastest growing areas of San Diego. Given its central location and its proximity to freeways and public transit, Mission Valley is a key location for urban infill. Already a mecca for shoppers, home to thousands of condo and apartment dwellers and setting for numerous businesses and hotels, Mission Valley is at a crossroads when it comes to its future development.

As we move deeper into the 21st century, we need to explore new types of growth that are sensitive to both the needs of residents and the environment. The proposed Hazard Center revitalization does just that through utilization of Smart Growth principles along with transit-oriented and sustainable design. It’s a stellar example of urban renaissance – taking an already great property and increasing its economic viability in an environmentally-sustainable way.

We have been working with the community on this project over the past four years. Many of the modifications since the initial unveiling of the plan – done at the behest of local stakeholders – have made for a stronger example of high-quality urban development. At a March 25 hearing, the San Diego Planning Commission voted unanimously in support of the project.

We were pleased that the Mission Valley Planning Group and the commission voted to send the revitalization plans forward. The next major milestone is a review by the City Council in early May.

Many decisions that have been made on this smart-growth project conform to the “City of Villages” strategy endorsed by the City Council. As noted by SANDAG, the City of Villages plan designates Hazard Center as having a high-propensity for urban development. The new Hazard Center will join the myriad mixed-use, walkable developments springing up across the country in cities that are fortunate enough to have forward-thinking planners.

Residents’ proximity to transit systems and the extension of Hazard Center Drive to the Fashion Valley mall will ease traffic in the area and allow for improved fire and police response time. We believe San Diegans will embrace the opportunity to live, work and play within the “village,” and take advantage of readily accessible public transportation for trips downtown, to Old Town and to other destinations served by the trolley and bus system.

The Friars Road/state Route 163 interchange and surrounding intersections are set to undergo major improvements that involve federal, state and local agencies. Some of these include the widening of Friars and Frazee roads and improved coordination of nearby traffic signals.

We aren’t deluding ourselves that car-centric San Diegans who choose to live in the Hazard Center community will all forego their vehicles, so we’ve included a number of traffic calming and circulation enhancing measures within the revitalization project. We’re quite certain that our plans, which are consistent with the Mission Valley Community Plan, will not add any additional traffic to the Hazard Center area.

What will be added are a new park, three plazas and open space to encourage residents to exercise and provide a vital link in the environmental cycle. The use of energy-efficient technologies, drought-tolerant landscaping and green roofs are some of the other sustainability-focused elements of the project. We are striving to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards for the entire project. The San Diego River Park Coalition acknowledged the encouraging environmental aspects of the project by providing a vote in unanimous support at a recent meeting on March 19, 2010.

Many of the historical elements of Hazard Center will be left intact. In keeping with Bruce Hazard’s vision, the addition of residential choices – row homes, high-rise units and affordable housing – will transform the center into a vibrant urban neighborhood. Hazard Center residents will have easy access to dining, shopping, entertainment, residential services and river trails, all within a quarter-mile. Hazard Center Drive, which currently is adjacent to the center’s delivery and trash disposal areas, will become a pedestrian-friendly streetscape exuding charm and residential character.

At OliverMcMillan, we are dedicated to developing unique, high-quality mixed-use projects that encompass creative solutions and demonstrate our understanding of unique community needs. For more than 32 years, we’ve been involved in projects that have served as catalysts for economic revitalization and growth. The Hazard Center project reflects our expertise and strong architectural vision, as well as our commitment to enhancing life for the people who choose to call Hazard Center home and those who already live in the area.

The question is not whether growth will occur in Mission Valley, but how it will occur. The thoughtful planning that has gone into the Hazard Center revitalization project – which has included plenty of opportunity for public input – demonstrates an understanding of 21st century urban development at its highest level.